It's Friday and that's totally worth celebrating, right? So what better way to rejoice than revisiting some of the most excellent action sequences from this week? And, boy oh boy, we have some really good ones in store for you. First, we're jumping into the very first issue of the new SAMURAI JACK series for some fantastic sword craziness. Then, we'll fly to the cosmos to watch ring-slingers brutally duke it out. Last but not least, we'll come back to Earth to observe a brawl between two ridiculously formidable dudes. They all have their own special qualities which make them rock and please the eyes, but keep in mind we're only showing you bits and pieces of each battle! If you want all the details, go buy the comic, silly.
Did your favorite melee not get a mention? Well, it's possible we didn't read that issue, so be sure to make suggestions in the official Best Battles Discussion Thread from now on. We review that before writing this weekly feature and do our best to get our hands on the issues suggested!
Samurai Jack vs. Arcus, Thurn, Clari, Robuttinski and Headclaw (SAMURAI JACK #1)
IDW's fist Samurai Jack issue has landed! We've heard nothing but love from fans of the show and, best of all, the issue is totally new reader friendly, too! In the premiere issue by writer Jim Zub and artist Andy Suriano, Mr. Ponytail Samurai Jack finds himself in a gladiator arena while searching for a thread of time. Five warriors stand in Jack's way and he's asked who he would like to face first. The samurai realizes he'll get worn down and eventually lose if he faces them one at a time, so he pulls a "come at me, bro" and says he'll take them all on at once. Jack dodges their initial attacks and things begin to get insanely fun when the coolest character ever, Headclaw, enters the fray. HE'S THE BEST!
Jack can breathe a sigh of relief now that Headclaw "the stabbiest" is out of the picture, but he still has four combatants left. Who has what it takes to assault Jack next? Why it's it's the robot with the butt blaster, of course! Plenty of great scenes have graced our eyes this week, but very few can compete with Samurai Jack deflecting bullets from a butt blaster. Seriously.
One of the blocked projectiles puts a hole in Thurn, removing him (or it?) from the fight, and another tags Clari, but she's just annoyed instead of eliminated. Meanwhile, Robuttinski continues to fire at Jack to no avail. The hero rushes the enemy, and let's just say the injuries that the robot's allies have received are nothing compared to what the samurai is about to dish out. It's time for Jack to get his slash on.
What happens to the two remaining gladiators? Does Jack get the thread of time he's looking for? Well, you'll just have to buy this issue if you want to know. You totally should because it's full of awesome. Never even seen an episode of the show before but this issue was a pure blast!
Larfleeze vs. Orange Lantern Corps (LARFLEEZE #4)
LARFLEEZE IS THE BEST.
LARFLEEZE IS THE GREATEST.
LARFLEEZE IS... royally screwed. The Orange Lanterns have returned and they want one simple thing: to kill the selfish alien. They land the first strike, but Larfleeze recovers and dishes out a mighty attack of his own. They dare defy the mighty Larfleeze? They shall pay for this!
Sadly, things go downhill for Larfleeze at this point. And by downhill, we're talking about Larfleeze literally getting his head smashed into the ground. Despite his best efforts, he endures a relentless beating from some vicious characters. Even though Larfleeze is incredibly powerful, it comes down to the simple fact that he's outnumbered by people who possess the same abilities. Anything he can do... well, more of them can do it right back at his drooling face. His arrogance certainly doesn't help his odds, either.
The always pleasant Larfleeze gives it his all and this cosmic slugfest eventually comes crashing down on the planet Unicorn 12, unfortunately killing some adorable locals in the process. In spite of the odds, Larfleeze emerges from the rubble and is prepare for more frenetic fighting. Tragically, the numbers advantage takes a toll on the alien and each of his foes lands a strike on him.
He refuses to surrender, but it's clear he has lost the battle. So, what happens next? Does Larfleeze find a way to elude his enemies or does something truly unfortunate happen to him? Guess what we recommend? Yup! Buy the issue to find out on your own. Honestly, this book is consistently vibrant and provides galaxy sized entertainment, so it's totally worth checking out.
Ultraman vs. Black Adam (JUSTICE LEAGUE #24)
Ultraman is the strongest there is... or is he? As the evil version of Superman from Earth-Three assaults the Daily Planet, Jimmy uses the Superman signal on his watch to call for help. If you've been following along in FOREVER EVIL, then you know Superman isn't there to save the day, but another immensely powerful character answers the call: Black Adam. Prepare for greatness.
The two super-human characters fly through the air, smashing through a building before Black Adam takes control and sends the member of the Crime Syndicate of America smashing back into the ground. This is all brought to life in an amazingly cinematic fashion thanks to Ivan Reis' artwork and, despite the fight not actually being very long, it's quite grand.
Black Adam is an immensely powerful being and when the two crash back to the surface, he immediately takes the edge. Shazam's foe pushes Ultraman into one of the containers and starts grappling with the man who is attempting to conquer the planet. However, much to Adam's surprise, he's unable to restrain Ultraman and it's more than transparent this fight has only just begun.
Dang, talk about a great lead-in to FOREVER EVIL #3. Bring on more of this epic super-powered throwdown, Geoff Johns!
Honorable Mentions
- "Gladiator Hulk" vs. Fin Fang Foom (INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #14)
- X-Men madness (WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #37)
- Havok, Wasp vs. Banshee (UNCANNY AVENGERS #13)
- TMNT vs. Dogpound, the Foot Clan (TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES #4)
- Samurai Sue vs. Science Man (HARBINGER #17)
- Justice League vs. Masters of the Universe (DC UNIVERSE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #2)
- Superior Spider-Man vs. Superior Carnage (SUPERIOR CARNAGE #4)
- Venom & Mania vs. Crossbones & the DOA (VENOM #42)
- Batman vs. Anarky (BEWARE THE BATMAN #1)
- Unstoppable zombies vs. Everyone (ZOMBIE WAR #1)
What are your top 3 fights from this week? Share them with us below! Also, don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell Gregg via Twitter.
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